Lincoln County, NM elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Lincoln County: 10 seats on 6 elected bodies. 5 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Lincoln County Board of County Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Kendal D. Wilson Republican source
County Commissioner, District 2Samantha J. Mendez Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 3Mp Chavez Independent source
County Commissioner, District 4Timothy Aaron Prather Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 5Mark G. Fischer Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
District Attorney, 12th Judicial DistrictMichael Ryan Suggs Republican source
County AssessorLeeroy Zamora Republican source
County ClerkShannan L. Hemphill Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffMichael Thomas Wood Republican source
County TreasurerSherrie L. Huddleston Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Lincoln County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 42 local governments in Lincoln County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships50
School districts (school boards)50
Special districts (elected boards)310

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Lincoln County

20,224people
52.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$53,303 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
19.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%
32.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$233,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
3.8%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
10.2%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
9.6%U.S.: 8.4%
51.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
40.2%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 33% · White 60.2% · Black 0.8% · Asian 0.5% · Other or more than one race 5.5% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Lincoln County

4.8%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.3%. New Mexico: 4.8%.
394people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
7,773people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
8,167in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Lincoln County 0.0%2.3%4.7%7.0%9.3% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.8%3947,7738,167
August 20264.6%3797,9168,295
July 20265.4%4537,9708,423
June 20264.7%3987,9868,384
May 20264.5%3727,8728,244
April 20264.5%3637,6718,034
March 20264.3%3517,8998,250
February 20265.2%4227,7678,189
January 20265.4%4417,7778,218
December 20254.5%3757,9968,371
November 20255.0%4258,1118,536
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.3%3557,9538,308
August 20254.3%3618,1188,479
July 20254.9%4258,2138,638
June 20254.4%3818,3488,729
May 20253.5%3018,2428,543
April 20253.5%2917,9398,230
March 20253.8%3167,9758,291
February 20254.4%3637,9278,290
January 20254.8%3887,7808,168
December 20244.5%3797,9668,345
November 20245.1%4327,9628,394
October 20245.1%4237,9138,336
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.3%3628,0558,417
20244.3%3688,1008,468
20233.3%2858,2548,539
20224.3%3618,0398,400
20218.2%6897,7228,411
20208.9%7377,5468,283
20195.0%4308,1788,608
20184.8%4037,9858,388
20175.8%4877,8728,359
20166.4%5287,7218,249

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. New Mexico's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.7% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Lincoln County

509.8 per 100,0002019. New Mexico: 824.0.
2,337.7 per 100,0002019. New Mexico: 3,178.8.
4murders2019, 99 violent crimes in all.

2019 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
201999509.84542,337.7
2018103534.15012,598.1
201794487.14372,264.6
201685444.14912,565.6
By police agency (5)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Ruidoso Police Department2025077,626
Lincoln County Sheriff's Office2019431186,668
Ruidoso Downs Police Department20255732,618
Capitan Police Department2025651,411
Carrizozo Police Department202511966

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in New Mexico · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.53 per 1,000 residents2022, 5 agencies serving 20,567 people.
52sworn officers2022, full-time, as of October 31.
31civilian staff2022, full-time.

2022 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (5), 2022
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Ruidoso Police Department20137,846
Lincoln County Sheriff's Office19127,667
Ruidoso Downs Police Department842,664
Capitan Police Department411,414
Carrizozo Police Department11976
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2022522.53315
2021542.71305
2018552.85295
2017572.95255
2016572.98295

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Lincoln County District Attorney, 12th Judicial District?
Michael Ryan Suggs (Republican) is the District Attorney, 12th Judicial District of Lincoln County, New Mexico.
Who is the Lincoln County County Assessor?
Leeroy Zamora (Republican) is the County Assessor of Lincoln County, New Mexico.
Who is the Lincoln County County Clerk?
Shannan L. Hemphill (Republican) is the County Clerk of Lincoln County, New Mexico. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Lincoln County Sheriff?
Michael Thomas Wood (Republican) is the Sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico.
Who is the Lincoln County County Treasurer?
Sherrie L. Huddleston (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Lincoln County, New Mexico. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Lincoln County commissioners?
Kendal D. Wilson (District 1); Samantha J. Mendez (District 2); Mp Chavez (District 3); Timothy Aaron Prather (District 4); Mark G. Fischer (District 5).
What is the population of Lincoln County?
About 20,224 people, with a median age of 52.4; the median household income is $53,303 and 19.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Lincoln County?
4.8% in September 2026 (preliminary): 394 people unemployed in a labor force of 8,167, against 4.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Lincoln County?
42 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 5 school district and 31 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Secretary of State's official results of each seat's last general election (November 2022 or November 2024, electionresults.sos.nm.gov and the certified canvass in the elections database at electionstats.sos.nm.gov); officials appointed since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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